STEP IN RIGHT DIRECTION

Another dangerous incident involving a fire at a drug production house
illustrates the wisdom of Langley Township council's adoption of the
Controlled Substance Property Bylaw.

On Saturday, Coquitlam firefighters were called to a small fire in the
basement of a residence on a quiet residential street.

They saw several barrels of chemicals. Police, and a hazardous
materials team fully outfitted in protective clothing were required,
and the home is suspected of being a lab producing the drug ecstasy.

Firefighters and police have a dangerous enough job as it is, without
running the risk of encountering toxic and/or flammable or explosive
chemicals; illegal electrical bypasses or exposed wiring, in pleasant
residential neighbourhood. Neighours, and people like utility workers
or inspectors attending to legitimate business, are not exempt, and
fire, toxic fumes, or electrocution aren't the only dangers. Grow ops
and drug labs are often targeted by other criminals, bringing the
potential of violence to the quietest neighbourhood.

Langley firefighters have encountered their fair share of chemical
labs or grow ops with electrical hazards.

Last month, after a report from Fire Chief Doug Wade, council approved
$250,000 from 2007 budget contingencies to fund a pilot program to
conduct safety inspections at suspect homes, and amended the
Controlled Substance Property Bylaw, to require just 24 hours
inspection-notice at suspected drug production facilities.

In Surrey, a similar pilot project had encouraging results. During the
four-month pilot hundreds of tips poured in from the public, and of 91
houses inspected, 90 were found to have evidence of illicit drug production.

A minimum $3,500 fee, with additional fees, ranging from $500 to
$1,000, should hopefully make landlords pay more attention to rental
properties, and drug producers a little less interested in residential
neighbourhoods. Wade and Township council deserve credit for their
latest initiative against drug production.